A new tomorrow for the National Gallery

Groundbreaking £375m for new wing 

The National Gallery, the world’s pre-eminent collection of paintings made in the Western tradition, is announcing its largest transformation since its formation 200 years ago. This has already attracted £375m of cash pledges, including the two largest ever publicly reported single cash donations to a museum or gallery globally.

As part of this exciting development, the Gallery is launching an international architectural competition for a brand-new wing to house an expanded collection. This competition is expected to attract both long established and exciting, younger architectural firms.

This funding will also support the Gallery's move to extend its historic collection and marks the beginning of an exciting new collaboration with Tate and other museums in the United Kingdom and around the world. 

The National Gallery was formed to make great art accessible to all. With this new physical and artistic expansion, we are reaffirming our commitment to the public. We will broaden our engagement with local, national and international visitors through enhanced displays, exhibitions, research, public programmes and educational initiatives. 

Project Domani, as we have called the initiative, will bolster the relevance of both the National Gallery and the UK within a highly competitive global cultural landscape.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said:

“This landmark investment is fantastic news for the National Gallery and the arts in general. It boosts the economy, opens doors for educational experiences for young people and will make great art accessible for generations to come.
 
As set out in our Civil Society Covenant, this government values the role of philanthropists and institutions like the National Gallery in creating a better, fairer future for all."

The new wing at the National Gallery will open up world class art for millions of people from home and abroad. I want to thank the generous donors who will help to transform the National Gallery, cementing its position as one of the most loved and visited institutions that will inspire people for generations.'

A new wing of the National Gallery and transformation of surrounding public areas 

The architectural competition (launching at midday on Wednesday 10 September) is the third stage of an ambitious masterplan commissioned by the Gallery in 2018.  

The National Gallery’s renowned collection of great paintings and our ambition to develop this further for the benefit of a larger, more diverse public, demands a space that not only preserves and displays the artwork, but also elevates the visitor experience, enhancing the Gallery’s status as one of the most visited museums in the world.

The Gallery’s wing will be built on the site of the last remaining part of the National Gallery’s current campus: St Vincent House. The property was acquired nearly 30 years ago, for the purpose of expanding gallery space, and currently houses a hotel and office complex. 

Project Domani will also revitalise the area between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, creating a vibrant, fresh experience for visitors. The new wing will benefit from the dramatic advances made in building techniques and sustainability during recent decades. It will be a landmark of both local and international significance, enriching the nation’s artistic presence on a global scale.

Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery said:

'With the Bicentenary celebrations now completed, the National Gallery looks to the future. We want to be the place where the UK public and visitors from across the globe can enjoy the finest painting collection in the world from medieval times to our own, in a superb architectural setting. We are hugely excited by these developments and are immensely grateful to our donors for their support – on an unprecedented scale – as the National Gallery steps into its third century. We look forward to an ever-closer collaboration with Tate on this significant new initiative.'

Collection development 

The National Gallery holds the world's finest collection of paintings in the Western European tradition, starting in the early 13th century. Having just celebrated our 200th anniversary, we now want to continue to develop and extend our collection.

The story of painting is a continuum – it reflects how artists and the societies in which they lived have responded to myth and religion, history and contemporary events, landscape and the human form, and to the tradition of art itself – and that is why it is necessary for the National Gallery to continue to evolve and extend the story it tells.

For the benefit of audiences everywhere, the National Gallery will be the one place in the world that presents the history of Western painting in a comprehensive and dynamic way, where the beauty and drama of extraordinary paintings is presented against the timeless and enduring backdrop of great architecture.

To achieve this, we are seeking to broaden and extend the range of our collection, displays and exhibitions. This development offers an exciting opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues at Tate as joint custodians of the national collection. The Trustees of the National Gallery and Tate recently held a joint meeting to develop new ways of working together more closely.

While both institutions will continue to tell their stories in distinct and complementary ways, a new, historic partnership is underway that sees the National Gallery and Tate working together to build and further develop the UK’s world-leading national collection for the benefit of everyone.

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate said:

'Tate congratulates the National Gallery on the announcement of this transformational gift. As the UK’s national collection of British art from 1500 and international art from 1900, Tate looks forward to working closely with colleagues at the National Gallery on loans, curatorial and conservational expertise to support the development of their new displays. The Trustees of both institutions recently held a joint meeting and, together, established a Working Group with Trustee and Curatorial representatives from each to determine the ways in which we can collaborate to further the national collection as a whole.'

Our supporters

The ambitious scale and scope of Project Domani will redefine the National Gallery, and we are delighted that a number of individuals already share our vision and are supporting us in making it a reality.

An unprecedented £375 million has been pledged to date. 

£150 million is coming from Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Sir Michael Moritz KBE and his wife, Harriet Heyman.

£150 million is coming from the Julia Rausing Trust. 

Sir Hans Rausing, Founder Trustee said:

'My beloved wife Julia was a passionate supporter of the National Gallery and its role in making great art accessible to all. She would have wholeheartedly embraced the vision and ambition behind this project, recognising its potential to transform the understanding and appreciation of art, and to reinforce the Gallery’s role on the world stage. This gift is given in her memory, so that others may discover the same beauty and inspiration in art that meant so much to her.'

A further £75 million is coming from the National Gallery Trust, National Gallery Chairman of Trustees John Booth, plus other donors who wish to remain anonymous. 

National Gallery Chairman of Trustees John Booth, said:

 'We are humbled by the generosity and vision of Crankstart, the Julia Rausing Trust and all the other donors who are supporting the National Gallery at this pivotal moment in its history. Their investment will inspire, educate and thrill generations to come, enriching the cultural landscape of our nation.'

Notes to editors

The National Gallery is one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Founded by Parliament in 1824, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez. The Gallery’s key objectives are to care for and enhance the collection and provide the best possible access to visitors. Admission free. 

Crankstart is a family foundation devoted to providing wider access to better education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, the protection of civil rights and access to the arts.

The Julia Rausing Trust was established in memory of the late British philanthropist Julia Rausing, (née Delves-Broughton), who died in 2024. With annual giving to UK charities in the region of £100million, it is one of the largest charitable trusts in the UK.

Julia Rausing co-founded The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2014. She was widely known for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and her impactful contributions to a wide range of UK charitable causes. She was instrumental in building the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust into one of the largest philanthropic funds in the country, donating some £400 million during her lifetime to causes across health, welfare, and the arts, primarily within the UK. The Julia Rausing Trust is a registered charity (number 1213572). www.juliarausingtrust.org  

The National Gallery Trust is an independent, registered charity founded in 1988 (number 299509). Its charitable objects are the advancement of education and the charitable objects of the National Gallery. The Trust has its own Board of Trustees.

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